The proposed constitutional amendment authorising state police forces has cleared the statutory two-thirds threshold. The Presidential Working Group confirmed the development on Friday. At least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved the amendment. The bill now returns to the National Assembly for final passage. It will then require presidential assent. Nigeria is closer to state police than at any point since 1999.
The 1999 Constitution places policing under exclusive federal control. The Nigeria Police Force is the only legally recognised police institution. State governors have demanded decentralisation for years. In 2014, the National Conference recommended state police. In 2023, a constitutional amendment failed in the National Assembly. In 2026, Osun became the first state to approve the bill. Delta followed. The current amendment retains the Nigeria Police Force as the federal police service. It allows states to establish and fund their own police services. The two-thirds threshold is a constitutional requirement. Clearing it is a milestone.
The Presidential Working Group said the threshold was reached after months of lobbying. State assemblies debated the bill. Some approved unanimously. Others faced opposition. The group did not release the full list of states. It said the required number had been met. The National Assembly will now consider the bill. It must pass in identical form in both chambers. The president must sign it. The process is not complete.
The amendment has strong support from governors. They argue that federal police cannot understand local terrain. They say state police will improve intelligence and response times. Critics warn that governors will weaponise state forces against opponents. They cite past abuses by federal police. They say state police could make those abuses local. The amendment includes no detailed safeguards. Those will be written into state laws.
Winners: State governors, who gain policing powers. Communities, if local forces improve security. State assemblies, which asserted their constitutional role. The National Assembly, which advances reform. Security firms and trainers, who gain new markets. Losers: The federal police, which loses its monopoly. Civil society groups, which fear abuse. Opposition parties in states controlled by rival governors. Taxpayers, if state police duplicate costs without delivering safety. Nigerians in states with weak institutions, who may face partisan policing.
Bottom Line: State police is closer than ever. The threshold is cleared. The National Assembly must finish the job. The safeguards are not written. Without them, state police can protect or oppress. The difference is oversight. Nigeria must get it right.